Storage battery



March 8, 1932. F. s. cRlsPlN m, QV f Q idg/QQ? VE/V TOR. FRAN/f5.CR/SP/N Patented Mar. 8, 1932 FRANK s. cRIsPrN, oF nAYToN, OHIO` lsmoRAGE i Application led February 10, 1.1927". SeriaLINo. 167,115.1 :li

This invention relates to storage batteries and more particularly to a`protector for the negative plates of a storage battery. In the Vordinary storage battery -the plates, and more particularly the positiveplates, slowly disintegrate and the material thereof is separated fromor shed by the outer surfaces thereof in the form of a fine sediment,which settles to the bottom of the cell. This sedi-k A`l0 ment ormaterial which is shed by the plates `gradually accumulates in thebottom of the cell in considerable quantities and in the 'course of timemayaccumulate in such a quantity as to contact with both the positive l5plate and the negative plate and inasmuch as the material is of a highlyconductive character such contact would result in the short circuitingof the plates. While the negative i plate sheds its material much moreslowly "20 than does the positive plate the material shed by thenegative plate will nevertheless accumulate directly beneath the sameand lthus tend to build up an accumulation of material untilV itcontacts with the negative plate.

'25 j One object of the present invention'is to provide a negative platewith a protector which will prevent the accumulation of ma-V terial inthe bottom of the cell from contacting with the negative plate and whichwill also intercept the material shed by the negative plate and thusprevent the same from being added to the accumulation from the positiveplates.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a protector whichwill exert pressure on the separators on the opposite sides Vof thenegative plate to vmaintain a tight joint between the protector and theseparators.

A. further object of the invention is toprovide such a protector whichwill beV very simple in its construction and which can be produced andinstalled at a very low cost.`

Other objects of the invention will appear as the device is described indetail.

In the accompanyin drawings Fig. 1 is a perspective view of t e plateassembly in an ordinary storage battery, partly broken away; Fig. 2 is asection of the lower portion of a storage battery cell taken trans- 60versely to the plates; and Fig. 3 is a perspective surfaces of thenegative plate,solthat spective detail viewof'one 4ofv the protectors: li In these drawings I'have: illustrated'one embodiment of my inventionand have shown l the same 'as :applied to 4the negative plates of astorage battery'of ordinary construction but it will be understood'thatthis embodiment has beenchosenfor the purpose ofi illus- Apositiveplates 7 and the negative plates 8 are arranged alternately and areseparated "one from the' other. byseparators or plates of i n` sulatiiigmaterial 9. Usually the separator is provided onV that surface kadjacentto the posi# tive plate; with vertical ribs 10 which contact with thepositiveplate, and with a iat surface adj ac'entv to the negative plate.V

ff'lo prevent the accumulation of materialin the bottom of the cell fromcomingin con- 75 l tact with the lower edges of the negative plates Ihave provided each of vthese plates with a `protector 11 which ispreferably trough-shaped and has'its sidewallsl2 di s verging upwardly.":The bottom ofthe channel like protector is adapted to receive andsupport the lower edge of the negative plate and the side walls extendupwardly between the negative plate*l and the respective separators 9 soas to enclose the loweredges lof the plate.l i The side walls of theprotector are soarra'nged that theyfwill completely close thespace'between the negative platefandthe adjacent separatorsy and willhave their upper edges` spaced a slight distance Vfrom theretheprotector Vwill 'constitute a receptacle to receive the materialwhichv is shed by the negative plate and prevent the samefrom-be- .Y ingdeposited 4in the bottom of the cell along 95' with the accumulationsfromv the vpositive plates. Preferably the protector is yformedv fromthin insulating materialA of a resilient character, suchas hard orsemi-hard. rubber. and the diverging upper walls thereof, when lo"confined between the separators and the negative plate, will exertoutward pressure on the separators to hold the same against the positiveplates and to effectively close the spaceV between the negative plateand the separators and to provide the desired clearance between theupper edges of the side walls of the separator and the adjacentsurfacesof the negative plate. In the present drawings the thickness oitthe protector and the spacing bethe negative plate and between thenegative plate and the separators, is exaggerated, to

facilitate the illustration, and in practice the material of the platewill be quite thin and the clearance between the several parts.correspondingly smaller. However, it will-be understood thatthethickness of the material and the spacing of the several plates mayvary in different install-ations. It will be apparentthat the protectoris of such; a character that it may be produced at a very low cost andthat it may be very quick- 1y and easily applied to vone of the negativeplates of the battery without any change whatever in the construction ofthe plate or of the other parts of the battery. When the severalnegative plates are provided with these protectors it will be obviousthat the accumulation of active materal in the bottom ofthe cell cannotcontact with he lower edges of these plates. Even should thisaccumulation extend for a considerable distance above the bridges 6 itcannot pass the upper edges of the protectors, which are Ain contactwith the separators. Further, theupper edges of the protectors beingspaceda slight distance from the adjacent surfaces of the respectivenegative plates any material shed by the negative plates will enter theprotectors and be retained therein. l

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention I wishit to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the detailsthereof as various modifications may occur to a person skilled in theart.

Having now fully ldescribed my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. In a storage battery comprising positive and negative plates andseparators between the plates, a channel shaped protector to receive thelower edge of one of Vsaid plates, the side walls of said protectorextending between said plate and the adjacent separators and havingtheir upper edges spaced from the respective surfaces of saidk plate. Yt

2. In a storage battery comprising positiveand negative plates andseparators between the plates, a channel shaped protector to receivelthe lower edge of one of said negative plates, the side walls of saidprotector diverging upwardly and having their upper edges spaced fromthe respective surfaces of said negative plate and engaging therespective separators.

3. In a storage battery comprising positive and negative plates andseparators between said plates, a channel shaped protector of resilientmaterial having outwardly diverging side walls to receive between themthe lower edge of one of said negative plates.

ln testimony whereof, I atlix my signature FRANK S. CRISPIN.

' hereto. tween the walls thereof and the' surfaces lof

